


The Cadet and The General

by TheKingOfSing



Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Bisexual Character, Canon LGBTQ Male Character, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dark Past, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Clarence x Cataloupe, Implied Sexual Content, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Original Character(s), Ventrexian characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29929077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKingOfSing/pseuds/TheKingOfSing
Summary: Pawblo joins the army after leaving his past behind on TCP. He just wants to start fresh, and meet new people. It's kind of hard to do that since the General he is assigned under is a sweet and tough guy. Pawblo soon begins to wonder if this'll work, as Cataloupe thinks the same. (SLOW UPDATES!)Final Space belongs to Adult Swim/TBS. created by Olan Rogers.Pawblo is my OC.
Relationships: General Cataloupe/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Brand New Start

Pawblo got off of the military transport. He hopped off of the bus and saw the huge base entrance. It was grey and brick all around. There was an open field for training and exercising.

He smiled widely. After being trapped on Tera Con Prime all his life, here he was. Pawblo was finally going to help others in need, by joining the Ventrexian Army.

"My new life begins today. After all this time." He grinned as he walked into the base through the security gate and entrance, with duffel bag in hand.

As he walked in, he was greeted by Commander Purrito, a slim old ventrexian. "Ah, you must be that new cadet we're receiving today. Your name?"

"Pawblo O'Connor, sir."

Commander Purrito was surprised to hear that last name. "O'Connor, huh? Sounds familiar....but then again all names do. Come along now. Follow me." They soon walked from the entrance to Purrito's office. Pawblo sat down in one of the empty chairs as Purrito sat at his desk.

"Now then, let's take a look at your file." He opened a drawer and read it to himself. Pawblo stayed quiet, allowing the Commander to read his file. "Hmm.......interesting. You majored in engineering?"

"Y-yeah. Despite it being online." He scratched his neck. "Give me a tank or a military super computer and I can do wonders with it. Maybe even upgrade it."

Purrito chuckled. "I will keep that in mind." He soon placed the file back into his cabinet. "Well, there's nothing else I can say other than....welcome!"

Pawblo grinned and saluted. "I won't let you down, sir."

"I believe you won't. Now then, follow me and I'll show you to your division quarters—!"

Just as Purrito was standing up from his desk, a man walked into the room. He was wearing general attire, with a grey vest and dark blue long sleeve shirt. He had an army badge shining, signifying his status. He had grey fur and in some parts, dark grey. His mustache was big, and it curled. The ventrexian was huge, and had form.

Pawblo blushed a little, but cooled down. He didn't want to embarrass himself.

"Ah, General Cataloupe. I was just about to go see you."

Cataloupe chuckled. "Great minds think alike."

"I'm afraid that I'll have to put your business on hold. I'm assigning this new cadet here under your supervision and care."

Pawblo stood up and saluted. "Pawblo O'Conner, sir. Great to work with you!" He grinned.

Cataloupe eyed the cadet before saluting back. "Cadet. Welcome. Follow me and I'll show you to your quarters."

Cataloupe gave a nod to Purrito before leaving the office, with Pawblo right behind him.

-This can't be too bad-, Pawblo thought. -I can do this.-

He soon blushed a little, looking at Cataloupe and how tall he was. He was as tall as him, but still too small.

Pawblou blushed again but kept it hidden.


	2. Adjusting

The two ventrexian men were still walking down the halls. Cataloupe was leading Pawblo to his new quarters. They were both quiet the whole time.

"Well?"

Pawblo snapped back into reality. "W-what?"

"Tell me about yourself, Cadet." Cataloupe fixed his posture a little as he walked on. Pawblo didn't know what to say. He was new to all of this.

"Well, sir, I lived in Tera Con Prime since I was a kid."

"With your parents?"

"I....I never knew them. I was alone, sir."

Cataloupe's ears perked. He didn't expect to hear this kind of response. "I'm....so sorry to hear that, Cadet. But don't worry. You're here now. Your parents would be proud to see you here."

Pawblo shrugged. "I sure hope so."

Cataloupe soon stopped in front of a door, as they had reached a spare quarter room they had. Pawblo gripped his bag's strap as he walked into it along with Cataloupe. He eyed the quarter room. There was only one bed, and it seemed as if the second one was removed.

"Here is where you'll be staying. Training and breakfast are at 5 in the morning, and dinner/reassignments are at 8. You'd better get adjusted to that schedule, Cadet." Pawblo turned to face General Cataloupe. "I won't let you down, sir." He saluted him, which led Cataloupe to smile.

"I'll take your word for it." He soon walked out of the room, heading back to General Purrito's office.

Pawblo sat down on his bed and looked around. The room looked like it could use some decorating, but he would have to order some stuff.

"This can work. I can do this. I can be a great soldier." Pawblo soon put his belonging away nicely. His tools and small gadgets that he made in one drawer, and clothes in another. The ventrexian soon fell onto the bed that he was provided, as he stared into the ceiling.

"General Cataloupe is probably a badass. Maybe I'll strive to be like him." He was thinking out loud. "But who knows? Maybe this'll be a great experience."

He soon decided to take a quick nap before heading to training with the other cadets.


	3. Lunchroom

Pawblo was slowly walking towards the lunchroom. Training was a lot harder than he expected, but he at least gave it his all. As he walked into the cafeteria, he saw how huge the room was. Most of the soldiers were occupying the tables and seats in the room.

As the ventrexian picked up his tray and was served his dinner, he eyed the room. There was not a single seat that was not taken. It seemed really crowded.

"Guess I'm eating at my dorm." He mumbled to himself as he took his tray and began to walk out of the room.

"Cadet O'Connor!" A voice bellowed from across the room. Pawblo turned around to see General Cataloupe, at a small table with two chairs. He waived his hand. "Over here!"

Pawblo was surprised to see the General offer him a seat. Though it was strange, it was way better than eating alone in the dorm. As he walked through the crowd, he felt eyes staring at him. Everyone thought that it was strange, since the Generals usually don't let cadets sit with them due to "having to earning their spot", so this was a rare sight to see.

The cornflower-blue ventrexian sat down across from Cataloupe. He looked down and began to eat his food. As he ate, Cataloupe kept an eye on the cadet. He seemed like a shy person, but gutsy enough to join the army. He kept a chuckle to himself, as he admired Pawblo.

"So....what made you want to join the army?" Cataloupe tried to make conversation. He never really took a liking to a cadet before, and he didn't know why. Pawblo looked up at the General for a minute. He finished chewing and responded. "l, uh, joined because....life was tough. Especially since I never knew my parents. I just....wanted to start fresh somewhere else....you know?"

Cataloupe nodded. "Ah, I see. You remind me of when I was young. Wanting to be free from the chains of expectation. But I wanted to be here to make something of myself. I was once a soldier like you. Now I'm a General. I get to mold soldiers such as yourself."

Pawblo nodded. "I'll make sure not to disappoint then, sir. Wouldn't want to make you or your legacy look lame." The older general chuckled. "No need to be so worried about that. I'd rather you focus on building your strength. You must have a lady waiting for you, right?"

The smaller ventrexian laughed a little. "Or gentleman. I'm bisexual, sir." He scratched his ear as he looked down, nervous that his own General would make him go away.

"Really? Interesting. As a gay man myself, I never saw that in you when we met the other day." He was feeling happy, especially since he found a relatable person to talk with. Pawblo took his response by surprise. "W-woah! Really?! I didn't know that. That's...that's cool." He blushed a little. Knowing that Cataloupe was gay made him feel a little better.

"If you ever need me for anything, let me know. Otherwise, keep up with my training, cadet. See you tomorrow." He finished eating and got up from the table, leaving Pawblo to finish his own food alone.

"Huh.....he's just like me." Pawblo blushed a little bit. He may or may not have felt something, but he wasn't quite sure.


	4. Duty

Pawblo was in his dorm, writing down his thoughts inside of a journal that he had bought before joining the army. He wrote about his first week and how everyone was tough and friendly. He was even considering applying for a role as a mechanic down at the docking station.

A knock could be heard from the door. "It's open!" Pawblo kept his eyes on his journal. He just began to write about a certain General that he began to take a liking to. Little did he realize that the man in front of him was the same guy.

"Good evening, Cadet."

Pawblo was startled when he recognized that voice. He closed the journal quickly and stood up from the bed. He raised a hand, saluting him. "Good morning, sir!"

Cataloupe waved his hand. "At ease, Pawblo. Just here to let you know that you've been selected to be a part of our next scouting group." Pawblo's ears perked up. "R-really?! But I've only been here for a week!"

The general nodded. "Yes, I understand that. But the other generals discussed this and they think you show great potential. I hate to agree with them, but I do." Pawblo was nervous, as he didn't know what to say. He was shocked to hear this.

"I.....Who'll be leading the scout team?"

Cataloupe smirked as he cracked his knuckles. "You're looking at the leader right now. Don't worry. I always take care of my team." Pawblo blushed a little bit. He was sort of glad that someone he knew would be right there with him.

"When do we leave?"

"Tonight. I suggest you get some rest." He gave Pawblo a nod, and soon walked out, closing the door behind him. Pawblo flopped back onto the bed. He didn't know what to do. But he knew that the General would be counting on him. 

"I can do this. Just gotta put all of my training to good use." He curled up in his bed and fell asleep. 

At night, there was a knock on the door. Pawblo immediately got up and grabbed a duffel bag. He also slid into his military vest. When he opened the door, he was greeted to Cataloupe, who had a backpack with him.

"Wha? Sir? What are you—?"

"Came to make sure you knew the way to the docking station. Plus, I came to check up on you." He twirled his mustache. "Are you nervous?" Pawblo felt nervous just by standing in front of Cataloupe. But he knew what the General meant. "A little, sir. This is my first time on the battlefield." He gulped a little.

Cataloupe leaned down a little and placed his giant hand on Pawblo's shoulder. "Don't worry. I felt that way when I got my first mission a long time ago. I won't let anything happen to you. Promise." He smiled a little. The sight of that combined with his kind words made Pawblo feel a little better.

"Thanks, sir. I feel better."

"You know? I'm getting a little tired of formalities. You're free to call me by my name." Cataloupe gave him a thumbs up.

"Alright, sir—I mean, Cataloupe."

"Don't mention it. Now come along, Cadet. We have a duty to uphold." The big ventrexian began to walk down the hallway. Pawblo hesitated for a second, but soon followed him.


	5. The Trip Begins

The scout team was dropped off on a jungle planet. Three of the four cadets that were chosen had already been here before, but Pawblo was in awe of the surroundings. He never took into consideration of all the new places he was going to see. It was an opportunity of a lifetime.

When they arrived, Cataloupe was busy setting up the sturdy tents for him and the rest of the crew. One for himself, and the other one for the cadets that were chosen. He made sure not to mess up, not that he usually did, anyway.

As Pawblo was carrying a stove, he eyed the finesse of the General's hands. How he placed the tent poles and hammered down the stakes. It seemed as if he had done this many times before. Pawblo mentally took notes in his head as he eyed him, but became distracted at how muscular his arms were. For an older guy, he looked young. And handsome.

When Cataloupe looked up, Pawblo quickly turned his head back and walked away. The older ventrexian was a little suspicious of the cadet, but he shrugged it off.

Night time soon arrived, and the team sat around the campfire, eating dinner and opening care packages that their families sent. Pawblo didn't get one, due to his past being a little too painful to talk about. Cataloupe never recieved one either. The general got up from his seat and sat down next to Pawblo.

"Loner too, huh?"

"W-what?"

Cataloupe chuckled. "You never got a care package. I didn't, either. That makes the two of us a pair of loners." He curled his mustache with his finger. Pawblo slouched a little bit more. He was feeling a little sad about it, but he kept it to himself, as to not alert the others.

As they ate dinner, Pawblo pulled out his journal and began to write again. He was describing the day and experience so far. As he was writing, Cataloupe inched in a little closer. "What are you up to, Cadet?"

Pawblo shrugged as he looked at Cataloupe. "Nothing much. Just....writing down my thoughts, just like I've been doing at the base." He clicked on his pen's button multiple times. "I usually write about my day or just what I'm thinking in general." 

Cataloupe nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, sir. I must sound boring, haha." Pawblo scratched his neck, chuckling a little. He felt nervous.

Cataloupe shook his head. "I'm not bored. I'm quite intrigued, actually. Never knew that you did that. Have you shared your journal with anyone?" Pawblo's ears perked up a little. He blushed at the thought of sharing the journal with anybody, especially Cataloupe.

"It's....it's a private thing, sir." The older ventrexian nodded. "Ah. I understand."

When everyone finished up their dinner, Cataloupe and the other soldiers headed out to their tents to get some sleep. Pawblo stayed near the campfire, looking up at the sky. As the stars twinkled, he stared in awe. "Well, you don't see this much beauty back in TCP." He chuckled. "Not as many good friends or trust either......or hot people." He kept that last retort to himself. Pawblo soon got up, put out the campfire, and into the tent that he and the others were assigned to.

Little did he know that Cataloupe was still awake inside of his tent, and overheard that.


	6. Relaxation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer because I had a good idea for this chapter haha

Pawblo woke up to the soldiers already gone from the tent. He poked his head out of the tent flap to see them doing tasks that were assigned to them. As he walked out, he was curious as to where the General was. He stepped out of the tent. 

"Hey, did any of you see the General?"

"Yeah, he told us to stay put as he was going to take care of something. You should go see if he has an assignment for you or something." The soldier that responded kept his eyes on the laptop. "He went that way." He pointed a finger towards a path into the jungle.

Pawblo nodded and soon walked off into the jungle, but not before grabbing his pistol with its holster as a precaution. As he treaded the path, he was taking in his surroundings. The jungle was quiet, with birds tweeting and the sound of water from a nearby river flowing.

Soon, he felt really hot all of a sudden. And there was steam coming from behind some bushes. Curious, he pushed them aside and noticed some clothes on the ground. They seemed to be familiar. When he looked back up, he saw a huge man, wearing nothing but a towel. He was standing in front of a hot spring.

The man turned around to notice who was staring. That man was General Cataloupe. He smiled. "Oh! Cadet O'Connor! What are you doing here?" He waved his hand. 

Pawblo was embarrassed about seeing the General this way. He had a nice body for a guy at his age, and seemed to be active and exercising. His left (Pawblo's right) pec had scratch marks, though Pawblo didn't seem to wonder where they came from. The smaller ventrexian felt a little flustered of seeing Cataloupe like this, though at the same time was in love with him and could't take his eyes off him. He soon held back and covered his own eyes with his hands.

"Well, you seemed to have discovered my secret, so there’s no point hiding it. I usually like leading the scout missions here because of this hot spring. Nobody else knows about it but me. Well, now you know, but you get me. Care to join me?"

Pawblo snapped back into reality as he took in the words that Cataloupe just said. "W-wait. You want....you want me to join you?? But I don't—!"

"Relax, I have a spare towel. No need to worry." Cataloupe soon noticed how Pawblo was using his hands to cover his eyes. "Are you....okay?"

Pawblo nervously replied, his eyes still covered. "Y-yeah! I'm just...n-not used to....this....you know?" It took a few seconds for Cataloupe to realize what he meant. "Oh! It's okay. I'll turn around. Unless, you're too uncomfortable. That's fine, you can head back." He soon turned around, giving Pawblo a bit of privacy.

The smaller ventrexian didn't know what to do. He decided that he'll follow his heart. So he slowly began to strip out of the clothes he was wearing. When he was done, Pawblo was now pretty much nude. Cataloupe whistled to get his attention. "You still there?"

"Y-yeah. Do you mind....going into the hot spring first?" Pawblo stood there, naked for all to see. This was his first time doing anything like this, and he needed to get used to it. Cataloupe gave a thumbs up and dropped his towel. Pawblo's blush grew brighter when he heard it. The bigger ventrexian slowly climbed up the sides and carefully slid inside of the hot spring. A sigh of pleasure left his mouth.

"Come on, Pawblo! The water's not getting cold!"

Pawblo slowly climbed up the side and soon slithered into the hot spring. He was groaning in relief, as this was his first time in a hot spring in general. He sat in the spring right across from Cataloupe, who was resting his arms on the top of the sides like a pool. As they both chilled in the spring, Cataloupe decided to initiate some small talk.

“First time?”

“.....Y-yeah. Stuff like this isn’t there on Tera Con Prime.” Pawblo shrugged. “It’s nice.”

“Well, you’re welcome here with me anytime.” Cataloupe chuckled. “Don’t tell anyone about the spring, though.” Cataloupe adjusted how he was sitting. Luckily, Pawblo didn’t see anything below the water, as it was foamy.

“....What are those scratches?”

“Huh?” 

“The one on your pec”, Pawblo nervously said. Cataloupe placed a hand on it. “Combat against an intergalactic terrorist. About a year or two ago.” He seemed somber about it. “I thought it was severe, but luckily it wasn’t.” His eyes soon noticed Pawblo’s left ear, which looked like it cut off.

“What about you? What’s up with your ear? Unless it’s personal. I’m sorry for asking.” Cataloupe kept quiet. Pawblo nodded. “It’s fine. It was, uh.....let’s just say that it was a situation where it was either to do this or be trapped.”

Cataloupe nodded. “Ah. I understand.” He curled his mustache. “You.....have a boyfriend? I’m assuming, since you brought up being bisexual a while ago.” Pawblo shrugged. “No. I got hit on by a lot of people back at TCP, but...nah. They were all sleazy. What about you? You must be married.” The older ventrexian chuckled and showed off his hands. “No ring, so you’re wrong, Cadet.” Pawblo was shocked to hear this.

“What??? How are you not married?”

“I just never settled. I’ve hooked up with others, but....they never last or stick around.”

Pawblo felt a little bad for the General. He tried to cheer him up with some words of encouragement. “Well, I think you look hot—I mean, uh, great! You’re a catch. Those guys don’t know what they’re missing. Who wouldn’t want a guy like you?” He blushed a little, feeling more embarrassed than ever before.

Cataloupe chuckled. “Well, thank you, Pawblo. I must admit that you’re quite a catch yourself. Especially with that gorgeous fur color.” He winked, throwing Pawblo off guard. The two of them were blushing, both feeling a little bit closer to each other now.

The smaller ventrexian snapped out of his gaze and quickly jumped out of the hot spring. “Uh....thanks, sir. For the invite. But I think I...I should be getting back to camp.” He picked up the spare towel and dried himself off.

Pawblo didn’t notice, but Cataloupe eyed him. He smirked, knowing that his cadet was following his training, and taking it seriously. It almost made him blush a little.

When he finished dressing back into his clothes, Pawblo picked up his pistol holster. “Hey, sir. You coming?” Cataloupe waved a hand. “No, I’m going to chill here for a bit. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.”

Pawblo nodded and soon walked away, trying to keep the image of Cataloupe’s huge body out of his head.

Cataloupe sat there, wondering the possibility between him and Pawblo. “Would it work?”, he wondered to himself out loud. “I might be older, but.....he’s something.....I’ll just have to see if there really is a possibility.” He shrugged it off and closed his eyes, taking in the warmth of the water as the day kept going.


	7. ...And They Were Roommates!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god they were roommates xD

Cataloupe was in his office. He was busy thinking about that scouting trip from a few weeks ago. That day in the hot spring, with Pawblo.

It was wrong, thinking about his own cadet this way. But he couldn't help it. He really felt something for him. He loved his fur, his personality, how cute he got when he was nervous. How he was always on time and on track with his training. And this was just the tip of the iceberg.

But he knew it was sort of wrong. Pawblo was a cadet, and he was a general. And Cataloupe didn't even want to begin with age. Well, there was no denying it now. He was head over heels with his own cadet.

"No wonder he's been so nervous. He probably likes me too." He talked to himself as he did some paperwork. The thought of just Pawblo's fur alone made him feel happy, but the paperwork was important so he focused on it.

A knock on his office door snapped him back into his surroundings. He cleared his throat. "Enter." When the door opened, the person behind it was revealed to be General Purrito. "General."

"General. Listen, there has been an issue."

Cataloupe sat up in his chair. "What seems to be the problem?" Purrito adjusted his badge. "There seems to be mold growing in multiple soldiers' quarters. We have moved some of them in with others until we sort this out, but there seems to be a few that need a place to bunk in. Would you mind taking one it to your home for a few weeks?"

The general nodded. "I don't see why not. Who am I taking in?" He figured that it would be a good distraction from thinking about Pawblo. General Purrito pulled out a piece of paper, presumably a list. "Let's see....you've been assigned with.....Cadet O'Connor."

Aw bollocks, Cataloupe thought.

"We've given him the address to your home. He'll show up whenever he's ready." Purrito nodded and walked out of his office.

Cataloupe sat there, feeling a little stressed. He didn't expect to be assigned with the cadet that his brain has been obsessing with these past few weeks. Now he couldn't wiggle out of this situation. He was a general, and he had to uphold that position.

He sighed as he put the paperwork aside and stood up from his desk. Cataloupe soon grabbed his keys and walked out of his office, and then the base as a whole. As he drove his truck out of his reserved parking space, he noticed Pawblo beginning to walk out of the base, holding his backpack and walking down the road.

Pawblo sighed. He was told that his quarters had mold and was going to be thoroughly cleaned, yet he was told that he was to be living in the General's private home for the time being. He felt excited for a bit, but was nervous at the same time. He didn't know how he felt about the General yet. Especially since he saw more than what he wanted to.

Cataloupe pulled the truck over on the side of the road where Pawblo was. He waived to him, and soon the cornflower-blue ventrexian was right in front of his window.

"Need a ride to my place, Cadet?"

".....Uh, y-yeah. Thanks."

"Hop in."

Pawblo soon walked to the front seat door and got into the truck. As Cataloupe drove the car down the road, the two of them remained quiet. Both timid to say anything to each other that might make either of them feel weird.


	8. Temporary Home

Pawblo stepped inside of Cataloupe's private house. He was surprised at how well the General had it made. It was clean and well organized. The living room had a large television, as well as framed awards and medals decorating the wall above the couch. The kitchen was clean as a whistle. There seemed to be an upstairs as well, presumably with bedrooms and a bathroom.

"You....You have a nice place, sir."

"Thanks, Pawblo. No need for formalities now. We're friends, and we're out from our jobs now." Pawblo nodded. "Okay then, sir—I mean, Cataloupe." He chuckled nervously before setting his bag down on the couch.

"Here are the rules: you don't invite anyone else over, and don't mess up. That's pretty much it. Got it?"

"Yeah, I do. Where will I be sleeping?"

"I recently converted the guest bedroom into a personal office, so that's one option ruled out. There's the couch."

Pawblo felt disappointed, not being able to sleep on a real bed for once. But since this was being offered to him, it was way better than the metal cot back in the base's quarters. "O-okay."

Cataloupe nodded. "Now then, it's pretty late, so I'm going into my office to finish up work. Anything else you need to ask me?" Pawblo shrugged. "Nah, I'm good. I'm sure I can figure it out. You go handle your General business. I'll probably just nap."

The older male chuckled. "Alright, then. I'll leave you to it." He soon walked up the stairs and disappeared into his office. Pawblo sat there on the couch, looking through his bag. He looked around it and made sure he had everything he needed for his stay. Pawblo pulled out his journal and began writing in it like usual. He wrote some deep thoughts that he had in his head for a while, but soon ended up feeling a little sleepy. He stuffed the journal back into his bag and grabbed his toothbrush. 

Pawblo walked up the stairs. When he reached the bathroom, he opened the door and closed it behind him. He soon noticed the dirty laundry basket, filled with some dirty towels and clothes. "Guess he doesn't really have time for his own personal chores sometimes. Work must be rough." As he brushed his teeth, he began formulating some ideas in his head. They were minor.

When he walked out of the restroom, he decided to drop by Cataloupe's office. When he opened the door, he saw Cataloupe, slightly dozing off. "Sir?" The older male was startled and jumped a little. "Uhh, Pawblo! What's....what's up? Something wrong?"

Pawblo nodded. "No, nothing's wrong. Just came to check up on you. Tired, huh?" Cataloupe nodded as he rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I....I haven't gotten much sleep lately. There's just a lot of paperwork to be done." As he rubbed his eyes, he let out a yawn. "But I guess it is pretty late. I'm calling it a night now. Don't worry." He soon got up from his desk and patted Pawblo on the shoulder as he walked out.

Pawblo soon began to walk downstairs until Cataloupe called him. "Hey, you don't have to sleep on the couch. My bed's pretty big. I don't mind sharing." The older male soon blushed. "Unless you don't want to! That's fine. I'll just let you be." He soon walked into his bedroom.

As he repeated what the General offered in his head, Pawblo felt flustered. He didn't know what to do. Again, he was going to let his heart take the wheel. He walked into the bedroom, where Cataloupe has slipped into a simple tshirt and bed shorts.

"Ah. You're here. Pick a side. It doesn't really matter."

Pawblo nodded and simply kicked his shoes off. He got on the left side of the bed, and curled under a blanket. He made sure that Cataloupe had enough space, and soon he got into bed as well. 

"Don't you...think this is awkward?"

"It's not awkward unless you say so." Cataloupe chuckled. "Don't worry. I don't bite. Unless it's on the battlefield." Pawblo laughed a little. He felt flustered being close like this, but he felt worried that this might be a little too close. Nonetheless, he shrugged it off. "Well, I'm beat. Sleep well, okay?" 

"Y-yeah. You too." Cataloupe winked and soon turned his body the other way, quickly drifting off to sleep. Pawblo, on the other hand, stared up at the ceiling while thinking.

He had a plan for tomorrow.


	9. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter.

Cataloupe woke up to see Pawblo, who was snoring loudly, his nose twitching. He chuckled to see how cute the cadet looked when he was asleep. He slowly got up from bed, got dressed, and went downstairs

As he made breakfast, he wondered if Pawblo was feeling the same way, as yesterday it seemed like there was a nervous feeling that could be seen, clear as day. He shrugged it off as he fried the eggs. As he placed plates on the table, he noticed that a journal was sticking out of Pawblo's bag. It seemed as if he forgot to close it.

He knew it wasn't right to read it. But if it's right there, is he gonna notice? Probably not, if he's quick enough. The man just couldn't help himself. Cataloupe walked over to the bag quickly and picked the journal up. He flipped to the most recent page and read one snippet. His eyes widened as he read what Pawblo had written down last.

"Holy cow", he whispered. "He really does feel that way about me." He blushed a little, knowing that his cadet felt the same way he did. When he heard yawning from the bedroom, he quickly closed the journal and stuffed it back into the bag. Cataloupe then ran back to the kitchen, as the breakfast was still cooking.

Pawblo yawned as he walked down the stairs. He kept sniffing the air. "Sir? What's that smell?" Cataloupe chuckled. "Breakfast. I woke up earlier to make some for us." The smaller ventrexian was happy, but confused at the same time. "You don't have to do this, Sir."

"Cataloupe. And yes, I insist. You are one of the best cadets I've trained. Maybe even my star pupil." He winked, making Pawblo blush a little. "Uh....okay, Cataloupe. Thanks." He soon sat down as the older male was currently placing eggs and bacon on his plate. "Eat up!" Pawblo picked up a fork and began to eat. He groaned due to how good the eggs were prepared.

"This is good, Cataloupe. Really. It is." He kept eating as Cataloupe came over to the table and sat down next to him. "Glad you like it. Would hate to disappoint you." Pawblo paused to repeat what Cataloupe said in his head. As the older male ate, the smaller ventrexian blushed. He was going mad, and over this amazing man right next to him.

He coughed. "So, uh, got any plans today?" Cataloupe nodded. "I have to go to the base and finish up more paperwork. I'll be there pretty much until the afternoon." He smirked. "You, on the other hand, are the lucky one. You get to hang out around here while I'm gone. I'll be back later. Okay?" Pawblo saluted with his hand. "Sir, yes, sir!" He grinned.

Cataloupe chuckled for a second. "I'll take your word for it, Cadet."


	10. Helper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re all enjoying the story so far haha

It was about to be the afternoon. Cataloupe was pulling into the driveway. He had finally finished the paperwork that he was asked to do. Now all he had to do was train the other soldiers until his next order was given. "Finally, some time at home. And with Pawblo, nonetheless." He smiled a little as he walked up to his front door and unlocked it, opening it.

When he walked in, he caught the scent of strawberries. As he looked around, the house seemed to be a little cleaner than usual. "Pawblo? You here?" He could hear a yell. "In the kitchen!" Cataloupe walked into the kitchen to see what he was up to. He saw Pawblo with his sleeves rolled up, wiping the sweat away from his forehead with a rag. 

"What are you up to?" Pawblo shrugged. "I was going to do the dishes, but I noticed the dishwasher was acting up." Cataloupe chuckled. "Yeah, I've been meaning to get that fixed." The smaller ventrexian smirked. "You're lucky that I'm a technician and mechanic. Fixed it for you."

Cataloupe could not believe the words that he just heard. "You fixed it? You didn't have to—!" "I insist. I'm your guest here, so I figured I might as well try and be useful." Pawblo smiled. "I also replaced some lightbulbs in the upper floor, watered your plants, and tidied up the best I could." He nervously scratched his cheek fur.

The bigger ventrexian smiled. He really did care for this cadet. "Great work. I'm glad to see that you're making the best out of this situation. Now come on. I don't feel like cooking tonight, so I'm taking us both out to eat." He suddenly regretted what he said. "I mean, unless you don't want to. That's fine. You're probably tired, and—!"

Pawblo blushed but stopped Cataloupe from speaking. "No no no! I'm not tired! Just let me get cleaned up first, at least. But yeah, I wouldn't mind eating some food with you." He smiled, which caused Cataloupe to grin. "Oh! Really? Great! Ok, I'm going to freshen up, so you go get ready." Pawblo nodded as the two of them went upstairs and their own separate ways.

Cataloupe could not believe what just happened. "Don't mess this up", he mumbled. "Please don't mess this up."

Pawblo was in the bathroom, cleaning himself up with water and his towel. "Don't mess this up. Please don't mess this up", he told himself.

When they finished, Cataloupe and Pawblo both met downstairs. Cataloupe wore a blue long-sleeve shirt and some dark jeans. Pawblo wore pretty much the same thing, minus his vest.

"Ready to head out?"

"Uh...yeah!"

The two of them got into Cataloupe's truck and soon were out of the driveway and on the road. The bigger male drove, paying close attention to the road. Yet his biggest distraction was the presence of a cute ventrexian.

After about an hour of driving, Cataloupe parked the truck in front of a small diner. "Takeout okay?" Pawblo nodded. "Sure!" The older ventrexian smirked as he got out of the truck and went inside the diner. As Pawblo sat in the car, he wondered if it could be possible, between them. Sure, age would be a barrier, but at this point he doesn't care. He was head over heels for the General, and he wouldn't care what anyone else would think.

The driver's seat door opened, snapping Pawblo back into reality. Cataloupe had returned with food and drinks in tow. "Got you what I usually get. I don't know if you'll like it, but—!" "It's alright. Might as well try something new." Cataloupe nodded and soon placed the food bag in the middle, and handing the two beers he bought to Pawblo.

"Want to eat this back at the house?"

"Sure, but I kind of want fresh air."

Cataloupe smiled. "There's a patio out back. That okay?"

Pawblo nodded. They were soon on the road again, headed back to the house. Both were nervous to eat or say anything to each other the rest of the way back.


End file.
